Of Hats and Hair
by Singer of Water
Summary: Two unlikely friends meet each other in Storybrooke little do they know their paths have crossed before in an unimaginable way. Rapunzel/Huntsman and Alice/Mad Hatter


**heyy WAZ up its your homegirl dontstopbelieving123 and im really excited to be writing this story with my good friend singer of water and I'll be writing all of the rapunzel parts. The pairing for my half of the story is rapunzel/graham and my fancast for her is Alice eve!**

**And I'll be doing the part for Alice! I'm really excited to be writing this with dontstopbelieving123. She's an amazing writer and I love her OUAT story, Fish on a Hook, a Hook/Ariel story and I couldn't resist writing a story with her. My pairing, if it isn't obvious who I'll be writing for, is Alice/Jefferson! My fancast took a while to figure out, but I finally found the perfect Alice. Clemence Poesy! **

**We hope you enoy our story!**

_Of Hats and Hair_

Chapter One:

Regina circled her finger around the rim of her glass as she looked across the table at her old friend. Gothel hadn't changed a bit since she first met her. Literally not a hair had grayed and she hadn't even gotten a wrinkle. Regina looked down at her own raven black hair and saw one tiny piece of hair was starting to lose its color.

"So, Regina, how are things?" Gothel asked as she took a sip of her drink, one of Regina's servants placed down in front of her.

"Business as usual. Snow White is making things difficult for me to rule over this kingdom," she answered.

"Well, I'm sure if you keep trying things will prevail. Although that would be highly unlikely," Gothel muttered the last part under her breath. Regina pretended not to hear the last part of that sentence. "Now what is it that you called me here for?" Gothel asked as she took another sip of her drink. Regina smirked.

"Can't old friends meet every once in a while?" Regina shrugged.

"Of course we can darling, but you know how busy I am. I have things to watch over," Gothel told her.

"What kind of things?" Regina asked.

"Oh it's nothing really. Ah I see you got yourself a handsome toy by the way," Gothel quickly changed the subject as she finished off her drink, looking over her glass at the famous Huntsman, who was always by Regina's side.

"He is quite the help I need around here," Regina agreed as she smiled up at her Hunstman. He quickly avoided her gaze.

"That is a fantastic drink. What is it?" Gothel asked as a servant refilled her goblet. Regina's smile widened.

"It's a secret family recipe," she told her.

"You are going to have to give me the recipe to this when I leave," Gothel told her. Regina leaned forward now as she was ready for her plan to take action.

"How do you do it?" she asked Gothel.

"Do what my dear?" Gothel asked.

"Staying so young, you've hardly changed since the day I met you."

Gothel shrugged. "What can I say I have a youthful appearance about me," she lied.

Regina disapprovingly shook her head at her friend. "You better tell the truth, Gothel. I don't tolerate liars," she threatened.

"What are you going to do?" Gothel asked, fighting back now.

"I've already done it. That lovely drink you've been gulping down, it has a large amount of poison in it. It'd be a shame for wasting all that time you've put into staying youthful to die," Regina explained with a large smile on her face. Gothel's face slowly started to wither away and her hair began to gray. "Tick tock, tick tock," Regina chimed.

Gothel got a scared look on her face and then spilled her heart out. "I've been keeping a girl locked in a tower not far outside the kingdom of Corona. She has a power about her that heals people and can give you eternal youth! Now I've told you everything! Please don't kill me!" Gothel exclaimed. Regina slid a vial across the table and Gothel quickly grabbed it and drank it up. Her health quickly came back to her.

"Take her away," Regina ordered several of her guards.

"I thought we were friends?" Gothel asked as the guards pulled her out of her chair.

"Oh we were, but friends don't lie to each other about their age," Regina told her. Once the doors were closed she turned towards her Huntsman. "Well Huntsman it's time for you to do what you do best," she told him.

"Is there anything specific you would like me to do?" the Huntsman asked.

"Make sure she doesn't know she'll be my prisoner, make her comfortable. After all she has been locked in that tower a very long time. I'm sure she was very very lonely."

ooOOoo

Trudging through the forest was not the best idea for anyone to do. Everyone always tried to avoid going through it as best as they could. They all feared the rumors of bandits, wolves, or some other horrible creature ready to attack an unsuspecting person. However, it always ended up being inevitable. The forest was the best route to take if you wanted to get to your destination quicker. Thus, those who had the money or power had escorts travel with them to make sure nothing happened to them and they got to where they needed to be safely.

But why, oh why, did she choose to go through by herself?

Alice sighed and blew the hair that had fallen out of its bun, thanks to the foliage around her snagging it, out of her face in frustration. She was currently walking through the endless forest trying to get to the next town over from hers. Derek, the owner of the tea shop she worked at, ordered her to go to the market at the next town to sell their tea and pastries. Obviously he thought that a young woman could handle traveling by herself through the forest that everyone feared.

She sighed again. Maybe it was time to quit her job. But then again, she loved tea and what better job than to work with the thing you love, right? _Not when you have someone like Derek as your boss._ she thought angrily.

She wasn't entirely afraid of traveling by herself, she could fend for herself (as best as she could), but it was the thought of an actual bandit or large carnivorous animal appearing that frightened her. She didn't have any weapon or object to defend herself with.

_I could use a branch._ she thought, looking up at the duplicate trees. All of the trees looked the same as she walked along. She could swear that they were all the same and she'd been walking in circles. _I could also hide up in the trees, the branches look sturdy enough. Then again, I'm a terrible climber. _

Continuing on her way, she tightened her grip on the basket of tea and pastries she was carrying. If anything happened to them she'd lose her job. Hell, Derek could have her head. That basket was her life line and she needed everything in her power to make sure nothing happened. As she walked, Alice jerked backwards a bit as she stepped over a large log. Looking down, she saw that her light blue dress was snagged on a twig sticking out from the log. This was a downside to traveling through the forest on foot while wearing a dress. She groaned as she set the basket down and began tugging on the skirt of the dress. Hearing a twig snapping off to her left, Alice began to pull harder. She didn't know what made that noise, but she didn't want to stay to find out. Her face paled as she heard more rustling and snapping, making her pull even more on her dress. Unfortunately, that resulted in a tearing sound and next thing Alice knew, she fell backwards over the log.

Sitting up on her elbows, she peered over the log tentatively only to laugh. On the other side of the log, sniffing the basket, was a tiny, white rabbit. Just looking at it Alice could guess it was small enough to fit in her hands. Standing up, she slowly approached the miniscule creature. The rabbit's ears twitched and it looked up at her, its black eyes staring at her before it ran away. And Alice, being the curious young woman she was, decided to follow.

_Who knows, it might lead me out of here. It's better than just walking in circles. _she thought as she followed the white rabbit.

Unfortunately, while shoving her way through branches, bushes, and thorns, Alice took one step and in a split second she felt the ground under her feet collapse. Falling to the ground she felt her head slam against the ground causing lights to flash in her eyes. Holding her throbbing head, she stood up. Looking around she saw that she was in a large, deep hole. She sighed as she grabbed the dirt wall and started to climb. After only moving up at least a third of the way up her footing crumbled and she fell back down to the ground.

"No no no no no no!" she cried as she scrambled to climb again only to fall back down again. She was right, she was a terrible climber. She turned her head to see the basket on the ground with the pastries and teas spilled out and buried in dirt. "No!" she cried out again. Most of the pastries were smashed and covered in dirt while the teas were still in their packages, unharmed and clean of dirt. _At least there's that._

After picking up the basket and usable teas and pastries she examined her dress. The light blue fabric was covered in dirt here and there and the skirt had tears in it and along the hem.

_Great. _she thought as she plopped down on the ground.

Her head perked up when she heard footsteps crunching on the forest floor above. That's when a thought came to mind.

_This is a bandit's trap. _

Her blood ran cold when she heard the footsteps stop above her.

ooOOoo

Rapunzel opened her eyes as the sun peaked through her shutters in her room. She slowly started to move her body and stretch herself out to wake up. As she rubbed her eyes for a moment she felt something crawl onto her face. A smile came across her face as she opened her eyes to find her only friend, Pascal, an adorable chameleon that seemed to have a personality of his own. Pascal smiled down at her.

"Good morning," she groggily replied. She sat up and got up from her bed and tripped over her own hair. Her hair seemed to be her worst enemy when it came to mornings. Once she reached her windows she opened the shutters letting a multitude of light into her dark tower. As she blinked away her momentary blindness she looked out into the little valley she was hidden in. To her right there was a waterfall that lead into a river and all around her she was surrounded by fantastically colored green grass that constantly grew beautiful flowers throughout the year. Rapunzel felt a little nudge on her hand and looked down to find Pascal pointing his tail outside.

"No not today, Pascal, besides Mother's coming home today. I need to make the place ready for her. I couldn't just up and leave with the tower looking like this. And besides today is my birthday so maybe this year she'll let me go somewhere with her," she told her friend. Pascal seemed to roll his eyes at her. Rapunzel did have to admit that she could agree with her friend on his point. Her mother always denied letting her see the outside world and told her that if she left her tower people would do terrible things to her to have her hair. Along with that thought Rapunzel also could never bring herself to leave her mother. She always seemed to need her and without her how would her mother be able to live. Her mother was a frail woman that often would go through bouts where she would look almost years older than she actually was. Years ago her mother had told her it was a sickness that she had been born with. That was also the same day her mother had told her about the magical qualities of her hair. Rapunzel could heal any wound, cure any illness and also provide a necessary nightlight if need just with her long golden hair. All she had to do was sing a simple song.

_Flower gleam and glow  
Let your power shine  
Make the clock reverse  
Bring back what once was mine  
Heal what has been hurt  
Change the fate's design  
Save what has been lost  
Bring back what once was mine  
What once was mine_

Rapunzel hummed to herself. She took a glance at the one strand of brown hair hidden behind the nape of her neck. According to her mother, Rapunzel had tried to cut her own hair when she was younger since it began to be a bit bothersome, but once she had cut a single strand it had changed from a lovely yellow color to a dark brown shade. It was then after that her mother forbade her from ever getting her hair cut. And that was why her hair was seventy feet long. Sure it might have gotten in the way every now and then, but she loved each strand of her golden hair, it had become a part of who she was.

Rapunzel allowed herself one last glance at the view outside her window. When she was done she turned towards Pascal. She held her hand out to him and he gladly climbed on as she placed him on her shoulder.

"Time to get to work," she told him as she headed for the front room to find a broom. Rapunzel had cleaned with such a quick speed, having done this task many times before that it had taken her fifteen minutes to make the whole tower spotless. And now she had the rest of the day to wait for her mother so they could celebrate her birthday together. To waste time Rapunzel did puzzles, played darts, made paper mache, danced ballet around the tower, played chess with Pascal, did pottery, tried to do ventriloquy, made candles, stretched, drew, sewed a dress for Pascal, read all of her books several times, and brushed her hair. Even by the end of all that her mother still wasn't home. Rapunzel felt worried. Her mother had left two days ago and promised she would be back today, and she never broke her promises. The sun began to go below the horizon.

"Well maybe she got lost," Rapunzel told herself, to make herself feel better. Pascal rubbed up against her face. "Let's make a cake then," she decided, hoping this would take her mind off her mother's lateness. After the cake was out of the oven, Rapunzel placed a candle on the top of it. She closed her eyes and whispered, "I wish that something amazing would happen." Once she blew out the candle she heard a noise. Someone was climbing up the tower. Rapunzel quickly hid and grabbed the nearest weapon she could find. The stranger climbed through the front window. It was a man of Rapunzel's age who seemed quite handsome and didn't look like a robber at all.

"Hello?" he asked. Rapunzel didn't know why, it may have been a sudden surge of adrenaline, but she hopped out of her hiding spot and struck the stranger over the head with her frying pan. The stranger went out quicker than the candle Rapunzel had just made a wish on.

ooOOoo

Alice coward as she waited for the bandit to show his face and smile down at his new victim. She didn't even have any money. Well, not until she got to the market, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. What would he do with her when he found out she didn't have any money? What if he had a group with him? Alice felt tears stinging her eyes as she waited.

A rope fell down the side of the hole, reaching just above the ground, but low enough for someone to climb up with. She looked at it warily. Should she take it and rush getting attacked by bandits or should she just stay down in the hole where she was safe?

_I'm not exactly safe down here either._ she pointed out. With a huff she grabbed the rope and began to climb. Nerves making her shake, she was anxious to see what sort of bandit she'd have to face.

However, once she reached the top she came face to face with a man, who looked nothing like a bandit at all. In fact, he looked way too properly dressed to be wandering the forest. He had all black on: black vest, black pants, black boots, and a long, black coat. Under his vest and coat she could see he was wearing a red shirt along with a red scarf tied around his neck. In his hand he was carrying a tall hat that, just like the rest of his attire, was black. Looking up at his face she saw his eyes were blue and he had scruffy, brown hair.

His face showed shock, but quickly went to a passive expression. "You know, normally, I help the poor fool who's fallen into these traps before the thieves get to him first, but never a woman."

"Th-thank you," Alice said, unsure of what to make of the comment.

"And normally women travel through the forest with escorts. You, you're a different story. Tell me, now, how come you are traveling alone?"

"I-I…my um boss wanted me to travel to the next town over to sell tea and pastries." She held up the basket. "But now, I'm not entirely sure how much is left to sell."

The man pursed his lips and walked over to stand next to her. Peering down the hole he could make out the squashed and dirt covered cakes at the bottom. "Yes, I can see where that would be a problem." He fixed his coat's collar and turned to her. "Jefferson's the name. Would you need an escort to the town you mentioned? I'm heading over there as well for business."

Alice's face lit up. After having gone through that ordeal she didn't want to travel any further on her own. "That'd be wonderful, thank you!"

"Of course…," he trailed off, rolling his hand in the air, looking at her expectantly.

"Oh! Oh sorry! Alice, my name is Alice."

"Right, so Alice, shall we?" Jefferson asked as he walked ahead of her.

Alice quickly gathered up her skirt and rushed to catch up to him, seeing as he didn't look like he was going to wait for her.

Walking along, Alice looked up at Jefferson from the corner of her eyes. He just kept on moving forward, his gaze not leaving from in front of him. He looked determined to get to the town. It was quiet and some questions were on the edge of her mind, but Alice wasn't sure if Jefferson was the kind of man who liked small talk. But her curiosity got the best of her.

"So uh Jefferson…where do you live?" she asked. "You don't live in the forest do you?"

"Yes, I do live in the forest," Jefferson answered as he continued to look forward.

"Oh, well that explains why you seem to know your way around," she commented. "Do you travel often?"

"Traveling is required for my job," he said, looking to the left then the right before proceeding to the left.

"What is your job if I may ask? I can't think of many jobs that require traveling. Well, except maybe escorts for the queen or something like that. Terrible woman." Alice gasped and looked at Jefferson horrified. "You don't work for the queen do you?"

Jefferson chuckled and looked down at the blonde woman with an amused expression. "No, I don't work for the queen. But my job is for me to know. And how about you? You had mentioned you work at a tea shop so that answers the question of your job. And the fact that you got lost and fell down that hole shows you don't travel much. And the fact that you work in the town back there must mean you live in that town. So then, family?"

"Oh um no, I um don't live with anyone. My father died in the Ogre Wars and my mother died after getting sick. We didn't have the money to pay for a doctor. I live in the tea shop. I get a place to stay as long as I work there. Hopefully, me losing some cakes won't cause too much trouble when I get back…" Alice trailed off, looking down at the basket in her hands.

Jefferson looked at her for a moment before going back to staring in front of him. "I'm sorry to hear about your family."

They continued on in silence, seeing as neither had any questions for the other. Well, Alice didn't have any more questions. Jefferson just continued to lead them safely through the forest. Alice could see why most people had escorts.

_Maybe that's his job._ she thought.

"Ah! Here we are," he said after a while.

The two came into an area where the trees were less dense and sounds of people talking and shouting could be heard. Alice couldn't help the sigh of relief leave her when she saw the town in front of her. People were everywhere up and about going from stall to stall in the market. There were stalls for everything from fruits and vegetables to clothing and toys.

"Well, Alice, this is where I leave you," Jefferson said, taking a small bow to the woman. "I hope everything goes well for you."

"Thank you again, Jefferson. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't saved me," Alice said with a smile. "Good luck with your job as well," she called out as he walked away, disappearing through the crowd. Looking at the crowd she sighed. "Now to sell this tea."

**We hope you liked it. Please leave a review and let us know what you thought! Reviews are always welcomed and definitely helpful! Have a wonderful day!**


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